Gun adapter



D. M. RICHEY GUN ADAPTER June 24, 1952 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 Filed Nov. 22, 1944 INVENTOR ATTORNEY RICHEIY June 24, 1

N ADAPTER 2 S HEET 2 Q Q .TT

Filed Nov- 22, 1944 INVENTQR UNITED STATES Patented June 24, 1952 ApplicationNovember 22, 1944, Serial No. 5645619 TENT one 2 Claims. 1

The present invention relates generally to mounts for machine guns, and the like, and more particularly to a novel gun. mount having readily releasable means for securing the muzzle end of a gun to a fixed support.

A gun mount made in accordance with the invention comprises a sleeve secured to the forward end of the gun barrel jacket'in lieu ofthe conventional muzzle bearing. This sleeve serves the dual function of providing. a bearing for the gun barrel, in which capacity it is a substitute for the conventional bearing, and anchoring the muzzle end of the gun.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a gun mounting whereby the forces of recoil and counter-recoil will be confined, at least to a substantial degree, at the muzzle portion of the gun.

Another object of the invention is to provide mounting means whereby the element of time required for interchanging of guns is reduced to a minimum.

A further object of the invention is: to provide a muzzle mountingv means adaptable for use with present gun designs.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a mounting. means for machine guns by which the. recoil .and counter-recoil loads are taken into a mount which isconcentric with the bore, thereby eliminating the eccentric loading generally attendant conventional gun mounting means.

These and other objects and advantages will appear in the following specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a machine gun employing one form of the gun mounting means;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the mount disengaged from the gun;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view showin the mount installation;

Fig. 4 is a transverse view taken along the line 4-4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is an elevational view of the rear end portion of the gun, showing the rear support, and

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a bracket employed in the mounting of the rear end portion of the gun.

The invention is herein described as used in conjunction with an airplane, but it is to be understood that it may with equal facility be used on other types of craft and even on ground installations.

Reference will now be made to the drawings in which like numerals designate identical parts throughout the various views.

Particular reference will first be made to Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4 which illustrate in detail a gun muzzle mount comprising two parts in all. Numeral Hl' indicates generally the main body of the mount, said body being a sleeve of generally cylindrical form. Intermediate the ends of body [0 is a diametrically increasing midportion H.

merging with an external flange I2 at the forward or larger end of mid-portion l I', while near the rear end of the body ID, the mid-portion ll merges with an external flange l3. Cylindrical portions [4 and 15 adjacent the flanges f2 and I3 have, externally thereof, thread courses I1 and I8 respectively, the purpose'of which will be described. The cylindrical portion l5 is provided with an internally thickened portion [9 having an axial bore 20 terminating in a flared portion 2|.

A retaining ring 22, internally threaded at 23 and having a flange 24 forwardly thereof, is screwed on the course I! of sleeve H].

In attaching this type of mount to a gun, the mount I0 is directed toward the muzzle of a un barrel 25, the flared portion 2| centering and guiding the barrel 25 into sliding engagement with the axial'boreZO. The threads [8 of the cylindrical portion 15 engage internal threads of the gun barrel jacket 26', and are screwed therein until the flange I3 on sleeve I0 abuts the forward end of the barrel jacket 25. Thus, the muzzle mount becomes a unitary part of the gun but does not prohibit recoil and counter-recoil movements of the gun barrel.

It should be noted that a gun employing the new mount has all of the recoiling mechanism, including the gun barrel, cradled in a frame or receiver.

The receiver and the barrel jacket 26 comprise a unitary structure to which the describe mount is attached.

Therefore, the reciprocating movement of the gun recoiling mechanism is free to take place, the forward end portion of the gun barrel riding in the bearing comprising the portion l9, and the bore 20.

Referring now to Figs. 1, 5 and 6, the numeral 2! designates a support member which is attached to the airplane structure, preferably in an adjustable manner. Slots 28 in support 21 are adapted to receive for sliding movement the lips 30 of brackets 29, the brackets being rigidly attached to the gun receiver by bolts 3|.

The supporting airplane structure, such as may be seen at 38, contains a spherical hole which in turn contains a mounting collar 32 which has a spherically shaped external surface, so as to provide for universal manipulation of the gun, and has a bore 33 and a counterbore 34.

In mounting the gun in an airplane, the lips 30 are first inserted in slots 28 of the support member 21. The mount is then directed into the counterbore 34, until the flange l2 abuts the shoulder 35. The cylindrical portion [4 of the mount will then extend into the bore 33. Retaining ring 22 is then screwed on the threads I! of cylindrical portion l4 and tightened against the adjacent face of collar 32 so as to draw the flange I2 against shoulder 35. Thus, the sleeve I0 is securely locked to the collar 32 at one end and to the gun jacket 26 at the other end.

The gun may be readily dismounted by simply unscrewing the ring 22 and drawing the gun rearwardly from the collar 32. If desired, the gun barrel of a different caliber gun may be inserted through a suitable adapter (not shown) screwed into threads 36 in the collar opening 33.

It will be observed that the new mount has relatively few parts, is of simple construction, and allows quick and easy installation and dismounting of the gun. The mounting sleeve III at the muzzle end of the gun serves to transmit the forces of recoil and counter-recoil through the collar 32 to the structure 38 from the jacket 26, which, of course, is connected to the gun housing or receiver 31. Also, by reason of the rigid support provided by the sleeve II] at the muzzle end of the gun, the high torsional stresses normally present in firing such guns are greatly reduced. The mounting sleeve l0 serves the dual function of rigidly supporting the muzzle end of the gun jacket 26 and supporting the muzzle end of the gun barrel 25 for sliding movement in the jacket during recoil and counter-recoil.

I claim: I

1. A gun adapter for use in combination with a gun having a stationary outer jacket, a recoilable barrel in the jacket, and a fixed supp t having a partly spherical opening, said gun adapter comprising a partly spherical collar universally mounted in the said opening, a sleeve secured to the jacket having a bearing in which the gun barrel is slidable in recoil, an enlarged external annular portion intermediate the length of the sleeve, a counterbored opening extending through said collar and providing a counterbore shoulder therewithin, said sleeve extending into said counterbore opening and having its said enlarged annular portion in abutting relation with 4 said counterbore shoulder, and means for locking said sleeve to said collar comprising an internally threaded locking ring arranged to extend into the small bore of said collar in threaded engagement with a threaded portion on said sleeve, and an outwardly extending flange on said locking ring thereby held in abutting relation to a wall of said collar oppositely disposed to said counterbore shoulder;

2. A gun adapter for use in combination with a gun having a stationary outer jacket, a recollable barrel in the jacket, and a fixed support having a partly spherical opening, said gun adapter comprising a partly spherical collar universally mounted in the said opening, a sleeve secured to the jacket having a bearing in which the gun barrel is slidable in recoil, an enlarged external annular portion having a radially extending surface intermediate the length of the sleeve, a counterbored opening extending through said collar and providing a radially extending counterbore shoulder therewithin, said sleeve extending into said counterbore opening and having its said radially extending surface in abutting relation with said radially extending counterbore shoulder, and means for locking said sleeve to said collar comprising an internally threaded locking ring arranged to extend into the small bore of said collar in threaded engagement with a threaded portion on said sleeve, and an outwardly extending flange on said locking ring thereby held in abutting relation to a wall of said collar oppositely disposed to said counterbore shoulder.

DAVID M. RICHEY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 182,584 Krupp Sept. 26, 1876 518,155 Martin Apr. 10, 1894 1,019,424 Clough Mar. 5, 1912 1,155,061 Heinemann Sept. 28, 1915 1,480,303 Roy Jan. 8, 1924 2,309,281 Steele Jan, 26, 1943 2,339,783 Kemmer et al Jan. 25, 1944 2,397,687 Olmore Apr. 2, 1946 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 479,271 Great Britain Feb. 2, 1938 848,320 France July 24, 1939 535.296 Great Britain May 17. 1943 

